the fate of fools
by thebattleangel
Summary: Accepting the death of her loved ones was difficult enough when she had to deal with an overly whimsical funeral director. Fear however drove her away little did she know however all it would take was fate and a dance with the jester of death to push her back into the mysterious mans strangely inviting arms.
1. Chapter 1

**The character The Undertaker belongs to Yana Toboso. The Character Vanessa is my own original character. Enjoy :)**

Chapter one - Acceptance

It had been a few months after the tragic death of her parents as she walked around her large estate boredly. The towns folk had started talking out about her during the preparations of the funeral she was to hold causing a huge scandal about her and the Undertaker. Naturally, however fear took over and she, after the entire ordeal had made a large effort to avoid the man she'd grown so close too.

She sat down on one of the many patios of her massive home and sighed as tea was served by her butler and the head cook. "Madam, we haven't seen you smile since you spent time with that man, you know the village Undertaker." They looked at her concerned.

She looked morbidly up at them and sighed. "Alas it has been sometime since I have been in any stimulating company. The last been him..." She looked away her hand shaking with the pent up emotion.

"Oh Madam but engaging in any form of company with the village Undertaker was seen as Absurd. It is not normal to want to be in the company of a man who works with death. And it is not normal to want to see such a man." She looked up at her servants, the tears ready to spill.

"I'm well aware it's not normal. I admit I was growing too comfortable in the presence of death. I started fearing what the towns folk where saying." She sighed as a single tear rolled down her pale cheek. She sat silently reminiscing about the time she spent and how the ice cold man with the warm heart had consoled her through her loss. 'Was it a waste of time learning your strange mannerisms...? Was it a waste of time laughing at those silly jokes...? Was all that time spent with you just a waste of time...' She sighed at the questions playing through her head.

When she looked up again she was alone. The feeling of emptiness came flooding back. "It was so difficult to bring myself to avoid you..." She whispered as she sat crying. When, the youngest of her servants appeared beside her with a letter.

"Mistress this was just dropped off for you from Master Phantomhive." She bowed after handing the envelope to her and left her mistress alone again. She slowly opened the sealed letter and read it. "You are hereby cordially invited to attend a masquerade ball at the Phantomhive estate this Friday." She browsed over all the details and sniffed. It was in two days time.

The next day she went to the town and searched high and low for the perfect dress and most exquisite mask which she soon found. When back on the estate the packed it all neatly and pulled out some of the family jewels to wear with it. That night sleep could not come any sooner as the day of the ball loomed ahead.

The day went by quickly and everything was prepared. Now it was just for her to make herself ready. She slipped into the dress after been corseted and then pulled on her elegant satin slippers, Family jewels and her jeweled mask. She then made her way to her carriage and started the journey to Phantomhive estate which was quite the distance away from her very own estate.

Little did she know indeed of how cruel fate was going to be to her that evening. The drive was a long and overly tedious one. But soon the large estate loomed ahead of them its drive lit elegantly with thousands of lanterns. She smiled gently slipping on her mask and straightening out her dress as her carriage came to a gentle halt. A masked butler opened her door eyeing her in approval as he took her hand and gracefully escorted her to the massive ball room.

"The grace of a swan yet your heart seems so dark and lonely miss." Came a mesmerizing voice from the man behind the mask. "Charming." She simply whispered the word strung with sarcasm. A deep chuckle emitted from the man as he stood before her. "It's a sin for the beautiful black swan to attend the grandest of balls without a gentleman on her arm." He cooed, his lips barely brushing her ear. She shuddered and forced a smile to cross her deep red lips.

Two bright grey eyes met two unnaturally deep red ones that bore down on her. She jumped as he gently moved a stray strand of her rich, luxurious, vibrant deep auburn hair. Something about the man standing in front of her was extremely unnatural. He seemed too other worldly just as the Undertaker had. She cringed slightly at the pain that shot through her heart just at the mere thought of his name. A smile crossed the butler's lips as he looked down at her.

"It seems you long for somebody. And you hope that he has attended this specific ball." He chuckled as he watched her pale cheeks turn bright red. She stood looking around for an escape route when a voice from behind the two of them stopped her in her tracks.

"I do believe you were looking for me Sebastian." Came the bone chilling voice. "Ah yes Undertaker I was, my master wished to have an audience with you after the ball this evening." "How is the young earl?" Inquired the eerie man in his cheery tone she knew all too well. When Sebastian noticed she stood unmoving with her back still to the Undertaker, her rosy cheeks now as ashen as his own. "Is something the matter madam?" He inquired curiously.

The Undertaker looked at Sebastian and at the tiny figure that stood before him. "No, everything is quite alright Sebastian." The Undertaker looked down at the woman in surprise recognizing her voice. He silently moved till he was in front of the tiny, slightly shaking figure and placed an ice cold hand under her chin lifting her gaze to meet his. "Vanessa." He exclaimed, his eerie voice laced with shock and surprise. "Undertaker." A low, yet sweet soft voice met his.

She looked up at the man, her heart pounding against her chest as he in silence took her hand and led her toward the dance floor filled with elegantly swaying bodies, pulling her close as they merged with the sea of bodies that twirled around them. As they gracefully danced around the ballroom she couldn't take her eyes off the man. "I never thought I would see you again, you did everything in your power to avoid me my dear." He watched as her eyes widened. "I couldn't help it... The circumstances weren't very favorable." She looked down unable to bring her gaze to meet his. He giggled his unique giggle and danced them out onto a patio stopping under that pale glow of the moon.

She was pulled uncomfortably close to the man as she heard him speak. "I have missed you very dearly my dear." He looked down at her his hand cupping her cheek gently. He watched curiously as a stray tear rolled down her cheek and chuckled. "Why on earth did you make such an effort to avoid me you silly girl?" He whispered his lips right by hers. She looked up at him pleadingly, hoping he would see the answer in her eyes instead of make he speak the words she'd rather leave unspoken knowing they'd bind her heart to him forever. Deep down however, she knew her heart was already bound to him. She loved him so deeply she wouldn't utter a word of it for the pure fear of rejection.

Undertaker looked down at the small woman and lifted her chin gently brushing his lips against hers. She was so taken by the man that when they were interrupted he had pulled her closer in a protective manner. Sebastian grinned, "My humblest apologies Undertaker, the master has requested an audience with you immediately." She looked up at the butler as if he was stealing the man away from her as he reluctantly released her small figure and followed the butler.

She watched as his figure merged in with the thinning crowd and then all in all he was gone from sight when she caught a glimpse of bright red hair in her peripheral vision. "Oh such a beautiful damsel left all on her own." She heard the strange voice from behind her when the butler showed up at her side as well. "Oh Sebby what a tantalizing sight you are." Purred the strange man at the sight of the butler, who took her arm politely and led her to the dance floor where the crowd waited in anticipation for the butler to start leading her across the floor.

Slowly a beautiful melody filled the warm ball room as she was pulled close and gracefully waltzed around the floor, but the waltz with the butler was something more like a living work of art, as well as something more sensual than the usual waltz. Her cheeks tinted pink as she allowed her body to obey and follow his every move leaving the on lookers mouths gaping in awe.


	2. Chapter 2 - a strange calling

The fate of fool's part 2

Chapter two - A strange calling.

As they continued to dance Vanessa felt nervous. "Sebastian, who was the.. Well... I'm not quite sure but I'll go with Lady in men's clothing with the bright red hair?" The butler chuckled darkly at her simple question. "That Miss was no lady, but a gentleman, his name is Grell Sutcliffe." Something in his tone caught her attention. "I'm sorry but I must inquire. Do you have something against the gentlemen Sebastian?" He noticed how intensely she watched him and smiled. "His behavior is socially unacceptable." He watched as she looked at his chest as if in deep thought when she quietly mumbled,"Oh I see."

Twirling her around the floor one last5 time the song slowly faded to its end. Taking her hand daintily the butler bowed and led her off the floor while the few remaining started following the rhythm of the next song as its sound engulfed them. Vanessa still felt nervous been around Sebastian, he was strange. "Oh Sebastian fancy running into you again! You look absolutely marvelous! Will you dance with me please Sebby? Or are you going to break my poor heart again?" came a familiar gentleman's voice from the right of Sebastian. Vanessa couldn't help herself as she stifled a small chuckle. "why don't you share one dance with the gentleman Sebastian this is after all a masquerade ball and if he does not speak people who see him will think him to be a beautiful damsel, whisked away by the alluring butler, you'll be sure to be the most envied man here." She teased as she looked up to meet the steely glare of the butler.

"Oh darling you flatter me so!" Grell exclaimed as he twirled around Sebastian happily. The butler sighed in mild irritation at the red haired reaper he had realized that Vanessa knew they weren't human, the look she held in her eyes made it clear as broad day light to him. It was time for her to make her escape. Innocently she looked up at Sebastian and smiled. "Sebastian please be a darling and fetch me a drink please I am positively parched from the dance." "Yes my Lady." He simply bowed and left her and the red haired reaper standing alone. Grabbing his arm she pulled him down to her level. "Would you know how to get me out of here? I'm looking for the Undertaker." The man grinned fixing his glasses. "Why follow me my dear I can take you exactly where you need to be." He twirled gaily as she followed him in disbelief.

The passages were dark as the music faded further and further away behind them, soon the only sound to be heard was the muffled clicks of her heeled boots on the carpeted floors and the movement of many layers of the material on her dress she wore. She looked around her as her eyes slowly adjusted when two hands grabbed her and pulled her into the shadows. All she could hear was the racing of her heart and her strained breathing as she tried to calm herself. "Naughty naughty aren't we?" came the butlers voice, his lips right against her ear. Grell beamed at the sight of Sebastian but his smile quickly faded and a frown replaced it when he noticed how Sebastian was holding the tiny woman. She felt her face heat up rapidly as she tried to get away from him stumbling to the floor when the young earl and the undertaker came walking down the passage deep in conversation.

The young boy stopped and looked down at Vanessa as the undertaker quickly helped her up and held her close to his side protectively. "Sebastian what on earth is the meaning of this?" his stern voice made her shiver. He was far to grown up for a boy his age. The butler simply apologized eyeing her and turned walking behind them as they made their way back to the ball room. Vanessa looked up at the undertaker sighing softly. "It's late I must be going or my staff shall all start to worry about me." Undertaker saw the reluctance to leave in her eyes as they slowly saddened. Gently he stroked her cheek. "Promise me I will see you again my dear?" he asked as they stood waiting for her carriage in the front drive. She looked up at him and smiled reassuringly. "You will, sooner than you think." He grinned and kissed her on top of her head reveling in the smell of jasmine and rose. A gentle hand touched his cheek and two soft lips ever so lightly pressed against his own before she vanished into her carriage.

He watched as she drove away, his pale fingers resting on his lips.

The next morning she woke up to the sunlight flooding her room with its bright warmth. She stretched out and looked at the key she always carried around with her. What was strange however was it didn't open a single door in the house or any other place on the estate for that matter. All the nights though after she had found the key were filled with the same dream over and over just the only difference was it would go on a little more each night. She would be watching herself walk down an ancient stone path surrounded by a milky white mist that blocked everything else from sight. The undertaker was the only one she could trust to help her with his knowledge of death and the afterlife and his knowledge of all the cemeteries in the area could prove vital in her quest to seek out what her dream was trying to show her.

She stood up picking out a dress to wear and decided on the right time to leave for town to seek the man she wanted to see. After eating and getting ready she mounted her horse and rode off into town. It was strange to see the woman on horseback as people stared at her but she knew it would be quicker than going by carriage. She turned off the busy main street into the alley that lead to his parlor, the clicking of her horse's hooves echoing eerily around her as she felt watched. Stopping outside she shook off the sensation as she opened the old door. When she entered she was greeted by the familiar stench of death, dust and something strangely metallic. Quietly she walked around the parlor which once was like a second home for her. "Undertaker?" she called out softly waiting for an answer. She heard his strange giggle and chuckled lifting the lid of a casket nearest to her only to knit her eyebrows together ever so delicately when she found it was empty.

A hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her close while its partner stroked her hair. He giggled and twirled her around gently amongst the coffins watching as the dim candle light made her pale skin glow. "What are you doing undertaker." She asked with a giggle, slightly confused. "Ah my dear I did not get a second chance to dance with you, but now I do and I'm grabbing the opportunity as I don't have to share you with a soul." He purred in her ear smiling as her cheeks tinted pink. Stopping he felt himself drawn to her, his lips seeking hers slowly when they met in an ever so gentle kiss. She blinked in surprise at how light and quick it truly was. He was so delicate with her almost as if he feared she would break at the slightest touch.


End file.
